We’re an informal association of four professional friends who have a long-standing interest in clear legal English. We all come from law, editing, teaching or training; we all have, or have retired from, our own businesses. We are all past or present members of Clarity, the international organisation that promotes clear legal language. Please see our biographies and websites for more details.
CLEA is not a legal or professional entity. If one of us wants to share client work with another CLEA member, we obtain the client’s approval and agree terms for that job between us. If we recommend another member to the client, we do not charge a referral fee. We might also help each other informally without charge, if no breach of confidence is involved.
We believe that legal and business ideas can be expressed in clear English. Our services include:
Training – we’ll work with your staff, in groups or individually, training them to write clearly, using real documents.
Drafting – we’ll craft a text tailored to your audience, using information you supply (or tell us where to find).
Redrafting – we'll use the information in your document, restructuring and rewording it to create a high-quality text.
Summarising – we’ll produce a user-friendly summary of a longer document.
Editing – we’ll suggest stylistic, structural and substantive changes to make your text clear, correct, consistent and, where appropriate, persuasive.
Proofreading – we’ll spot typographical, linguistic and positional errors on a proof, and mark corrections.
Sarah Carr
Plain-English writer, editor and proofreader since 1997, with degrees in modern languages and business.
Associate of Plain Language Commission (PLC), and faculty member of NHS R&D North West.
Previous academic posts at the University of Manchester, and seven years’ experience in NHS management.
Author of Tackling NHS Jargon (Radcliffe Medical Press), PLC distance-learning course and style guide, two SfEP guides and 30+ journal articles.
Advanced Professional Member of Society for Editors and Proofreaders (SfEP).
Former secretary of PLAIN, UK representative for Clarity, and coordinator of the SfEP’s North West group.
Enjoys reading, walking, learning new skills, and volunteering in bereavement support.
www.carrconsultancy.co.uk
sarahcarr@carrconsultancy.co.uk
Landline: +44 (0)1925 767403
Richard Castle
Solicitor, writer and undergraduate supervisor.
Degrees from the universities of London and Cambridge.
In high-street legal practice for several years, followed by extensive experience in central and local government; specialist in landlord and tenant.
Author of several articles on property and drafting.
Co-author and editor of textbooks including Barnsley's Land Options (Sweet & Maxwell), Modern Legal Drafting (CUP) and Drafting Guide for Private Legal Documents (CreateSpace).
Member of Statute Law Society and founder-member of Clarity.
Interested in English usage.
One-time runner, but now a spectator at sporting events.
Visiting fellow in the Department of Land Economy, University of Cambridge.
https://sites.google.com/site/richardcastlelawyer/
schlossmeister@gmail.com
Landline: +44 (0)1223 358674
Nigel Grant
Business writing trainer and editor since 2004; helps writers use clear, professional language rather than basic plain English.
Designs and leads tailored writing courses for government agencies, councils, charities, housing groups, emergency services and international companies; current/recent customers include Towers Watson, TfL, Vanquis Bank, Kent Fire and Rescue, Charities Aid Foundation and PwC.
Featured in Management Today, September 2009, ‘Crash Course in Clear Communication’.
Judge for the BMA’s annual Patient Information Award.
English teacher and public examiner, 1980–2003.
BEd (English and education, London); MA (Victorian literature and society, Sussex).
Author of Pan literature study guides.
Main interests: language, English history, World War 1, South African politics, keeping fit.
Member of three business writing groups: Clarity, PLAIN and 26.
www.nigelgrant.co.uk
office@nigelgrant.co.uk
Landline: +44 (0)1634 855534
Mobile: +44 (0)7949 910375